The present invention relates generally to humidifying means and more particularly to improved humidifying means embodying an externally heated, disposable or semi-disposable humidifier cartridge for use in respiratory inhalation therapy.
In such humidifying means, oxygen, air or other gases which are to be breathed by a patient being aided in his respiration, are preferably both heated and humidified under controlled conditions, including the need to use a sterile liquid for humidification. It is known that in many hospitals where inhalation therapy is practiced, the respirator and ventilator equipment often utilized is primarily of a reusable, sterilizable and heatable type, based generally upon the type which introduces bubbles of gas into a water reservoir.
Some such prior art units are often accompanied by some objectionable features which include: difficulty in sterilizing; inability to quickly heat up to the desired temperature range due to the relatively larger volume of water used; the relative arrangement and functional disposition of the components is such that objectionable back pressure evolves in the system; that it cannot be filled or refilled while the humidifying unit or apparatus is in operation; and, an inability to effectively use all of the sterile water or humidifying liquid which is placed into the reservoir thereof.
It is also known that heretofore disposable humidifier cannisters or cartridges encapsulating sterile liquid have been invented or marketed, which generally overcome any problems related to sterilizing of the liquid. However, those humidifying devices still are plagued with many of the same problems stated above, and often to a greater degree. That is, the bubble-type disposable humidifiers are even slower in heating up to the desired temperature range, and provide more objectionable back pressure. Moreover, they still cannot be filled while in operation, and are unable to use all of the sterile water placed in their reservoir. Still further prior art devices have embodied quite elaborate and sophisticated electronic controls which generally are non-immersible, for example, for purposes of sterilization.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide improved humidifying apparatus which benefits from the sterility advantages of utilizing various forms of initially sterilized cartridged together with disposable cartridges of the encapsulated sterile liquid in most preferred forms, while basically eliminating the other stated disadvantages attendant some of the known prior art devices.
It is a further object to provide an improved humidifier of the aforementioned character which lends itself to a very effective self-contained steam-disinfecting or sterilizing system permitting limited reuse of certain of the contemplated cartridge modules herein.
Still another object is to provide an improved cartridge type humidifier, which by its nature heats only a relatively small quantity of water at any time, and which permits a very rapid reaction to a change in thermostatic or other control, thereby lending itself to electronic control of a temperature feedback nature to be described hereinafter, to facilitate continuous monitoring and self-compensating control of a preset temperature, attendant variations in room temperature, flow rate, etc.
A still further object is to provide up-graded variations of the cartridge modules which will lend themselves to autoclavable sterilization for reuse over several applications, whereby characterizing the cartridge modules as semi-disposable, and subject to sterilization by other than use in the self-contained unit hereof.